title: HLA class II DNA polymorphism in a Moroccan population from the Souss, Agadir area.
abstract: HLA DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 polymorphisms were analyzed by PCR-SSO typing in a sample of the Moroccan population from Souss. Uneven allelic frequency distributions are observed at each locus, with particularly high frequencies for DRB1*0701, DRB1*0301, DQA1*0501, DQA1*0201, and DQB1*0201. Only three haplotypes (DRB1*0701-DQA1*0201-DQB1*0201, DRB1*0301-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201 and DRB1*11-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0301) account for nearly 50% of the total gene frequencies. A genetic distance analysis reveals that the Moroccan population is close to the Spanish and the Algerians, who live in geographically neighboring areas. However, the Souss population is also characterized by a lower level of genetic diversity compared to other African and European populations from the Mediterranean area. This may be the result of a rapid genetic drift due to their likely geographical and/or cultural isolation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, University Ibnou-Zohr, Agadir, Morocco.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Izaabel
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Garchon
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caillat-Zucman
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Beaurain
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Akhayat
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Mazas
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D004247:DNA; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059848:HLA-DQ alpha-Chains; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009018:Morocco / Q000208:ethnology; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011153:Population
chemical_list: D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D059848:HLA-DQ alpha-Chains; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; C069050:HLA-DQA1 antigen; C069051:HLA-DQB1 antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; C553502:HLA-DRB1*03:01 antigen; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D004247:DNA